It’s Like the Marathon of Craft Nights!

Hi Friends! Lookie what i did tonight!

It was the annual Day of the Dead celebration at our local library tonight and we had a ball. We almost ran out of sugar skulls and it took both Audrey the Librarian and me both to keep frosting bags filled and to the keep kids from eating the icing LOL! Oh, and we managed to teach them a bit too! I did not get a chance to sit and snap a pic of my decorated sugar skull til it was over! There is something so special and fun about watching 30 giddy kids wielding bags of frosting, feathers and sequins. I love how the Mexican culture is not afraid of death and honors and celebrates those who have passed. I know this custom can seem strange but that is what is great about public libraries, they open your eyes to other cultures and customs. Last year I filmed the process of making and decorating the sugar skulls, and also some info about the traditions of Day of the Dead in Mexico. Please take a moment to watch this video and meet my good friend Audrey who our community is fortunate to have as our local librarian.

Video!

Even if this project isn’t for you I am happy your curiosity made you check it out. I am always a bit worried when I share a project from a different culture that I might get something wrong and offend someone. I hope I didn’t and if I did get something wrong you will teach me. This is hands down our most popular event for kids and families at the library, it is an all-hands-on-deck kinda thing but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m pooped and my hands will be stained the color of frosting for a few days but I loved every minute of it! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

How to Make Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls {join me at the library!}

Hi Friends! This weekend marks the Mexican Day of the Dead. Every year at the library my friend, and librarian, Audrey does a wonderful program to remember and pay respect to our loved ones who have passed. If you are unfamiliar with the holiday check out the history of Day of the Dead on MexicanSugarSkull.com. They also have recipes for making royal icing and the sugar mixture as well as the mold that Audrey and I used to make these. I have helped Audrey control the mayhem on decorating night with the kids at the library but this year I asked if I could try the project from soup to nuts.  She showed me how to mix the sugar, mold the skulls and put them together. I think the most important tip was that you know the royal icing is ready when your mixer starts to smell like the motor is burning out LOL! So, without further ado I would like to introduce you my friend Audrey and show you how to make these sugar skulls yourself! Please note that the intro was filmed AFTER the class right before the library closed so if we look a little frazzled/tired, that is why:)

And here are some pics of the skulls that were left to dry at the library:

I know traditions from other cultures can seem odd to us but I think this is such a positive way to remember our loved ones who have passed, especially for children.  Thanks so much for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Happy Day of the Dead & A Stamp Winner!

I hope everyone survived Trick-o-treating last night. We had a great time, I gaggle of us went together around the cul-de-sac where I live. It was perfect Halloween weather, howling wind, rain and all sorts of blustery goodness! We all gathered at my place for a pot luck (I had the best intentions of ALL the kids eating real food before they went begging for candy) before hand, it had become a bit of a tradition and I feel “the more the merrier!” I love Halloween because because it is low stress (unlike Christmas) I don’t kill myself cleaning because the extra cobwebs in the corners add to the ambiance and there is no need to mop the floors when you are going to have 30 kids traipsing in and out of the house LOL! Who’s to say the floor wasn’t spotless before they arrived? I am kinda bummed because I did not get any pictures last night. My son was David Ortiz, AKA “Big Papi” of the Red Sox, I was a creepy sugar skull face lady and my girls were a minion and a vampire. Here is a photo of me and the girls before last weekend’s school Halloween party, I was dressed as a fortune teller because I was volunteering at the party as one.

Today is Day of the Dead, a time to remember friends and family who have passed. One of the traditions is decorating sugar skulls so I created a quick and easy painting project you can do with the kids:

Now what you have really been waiting for. The winner of last weeks stamp giveaway is: Carla! I have a couple of readers with that name so I will email the correct Carla and you can get your prize! That’s it for me today. I am going scrapbooking, I should clean the house first but I’m willing to let the “ambiance” last one more day:) Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

They Call Me the Voodoo Woman…

Oh, yeah! I have the Koko Taylor song “Voodoo Woman” playing in my head right now! Today I have a Halloween/Day of the Dead/Voodoo Juju project going on.  But wait! First I want to let you know that everything at Lindsay’s Stamp stuff is 40% off today and tomorrow! No Tricks, only a treat for you…hey, even the voodoo woman’s gotta pay the bills LOL! OK, enough of that foolishness, this week I have been playing with one of the humblest of art supplies: Plaster of Paris. Lookie what I made:

I made a bunch of the skulls bones and fingers by pouring plaster of paris in Halloween ice-cube molds I got at the dollar tree. This would be great for Christmas ornaments too when the Christmas themed molds are out. Also you can use candy molds. I am helping the librarian with the Day of the Dead craft this week (She had made 50 real sugar skulls for the kids to decorate!) and I came up with this as an additional craft for the kids to make. Instead of sugar I used glitter from Papermart. The fingers and bones are for my Halloween home decor project. Here is how I did it:

What I think is fun is that you can give someone the finger this Halloween! Hardy-har-har…I can’t resist a good pun.

Other things to do with Plaster…

• DIY Sidewalk Chalk: Mix tempera paint or food coloring to the water before adding plaster and pour into molds or toilet paper tubes wrapped in plastic wrap for custom colorful sticks of chalk!
• DIY Chalk Paint: Mix one part plaster of paris to 2 parts latex paint for a beautiful opaque matt paint. Seal with a rub on wax for a satin finish.
• Faux Paper Mache: dip strips of gauze or newspaper in plaster of paris for a quick drying sculpture material!

I hope I gave you some fun ideas on using plaster of Paris. Let me know if you have any questions and til next time happy crafting!